The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday (21 June) slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his criticism of Modi government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.

In a post on X on Saturday, Rahul Gandhi criticised the government’s Make in India programme, citing alleged rising youth unemployment and a surge in Chinese imports as signs of low manufacturing in the country.

““Make in India” promised a factory boom. So why is manufacturing at record lows, youth unemployment at record highs, and why have imports from China more than doubled? Modi ji has mastered the art of slogans, not solutions. Since 2014, manufacturing has fallen to 14% of our economy,” Gandhi claimed.

The Congress leader’s statement came after he met two technicians in Delhi’s Nehru Place, a popular electronics market.

Gandhi said most products like mobiles were being “assembled in India” and not being built here.

He posted a video of his interaction with Shivam and Saif on X.

“The truth is stark: we assemble, we import, but we don’t build. China profits. With no new ideas, Modi ji has surrendered. Even the much-hyped PLI scheme is now being quietly rolled back. India needs a fundamental shift – one that empowers lakhs of producers through honest reforms and financial support. We must stop being a market for others. If we don’t build here, we’ll keep buying from those who do. The clock is ticking,” Gandhi said.

Responding to Gandhi’s post, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya said that Rahul Gandhi’s narratives are “outdated, misinformed, and disconnected from reality”.

Malviya said that far from collapsing, India’s manufacturing sector—especially electronics—is witnessing a historic rise under the “Make in India” initiative.

Countering Rahul Gandhi’s claim, Malviya said India is now the world’s second-largest mobile phone producer, having expanded from just two manufacturing units in 2014 to over 300.

“The so-called “failed” PLI scheme, as labelled by Rahul Gandhi, has led to: Cumulative investments of Rs 10,905 crore; Total production worth ₹7.15 lakh crore; Exports of Rs 3.9 lakh crore,” the BJP leader said.

According to the BJP leader, the total value of electronics production in India has risen from Rs 18,900 crore in 2013–14 to Rs 4.22 lakh crore in 2023–24.

Mobile phone exports surged 77-fold from Rs 1,566 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 1.2 lakh crore (2023-24), he said.

The BJP leader noted that 99.2 per cent of mobile phones sold in India are now made in India, up from just 26 per cent in 2014-15.

Malviya added that the PLI scheme has created 1,39,670 direct jobs in the electronics sector.

He also said that electronics exports in FY24–25 have crossed $38 billion, reflecting a 32 per cent year-on-year increase.

In terms of business activity, Malviya noted that 1.8 lakh new companies were registered in 2023–24, which marks a 16 per cent rise over the previous year.

The BJP leader stated that allocations for the electronics PLI scheme have increased from Rs 5,747 crore in FY24–25 to Rs 8,885 crore in FY25–26.

Malviya also pointed to the government’s approval of semiconductor manufacturing projects worth Rs 1.52 lakh crore as evidence of its commitment to building deep-tech manufacturing capacity in India.

He said that India’s overall electronics production is projected to reach $300 billion by 2026.

“Under PM Modi, India has transformed from an importer to a global manufacturing powerhouse. Rahul Gandhi’s narratives are outdated, misinformed, and disconnected from reality. India is building. India is growing. India is leading,” he added.

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